Valve guide slide



0 21, 1947- H. E. PLEASANT v VALVE GUIDE SLIDE Filed Feb. 19, 1945 R J. m m J M u wL MM H u, W 5; x a w) 3. HL'U x v y x m Patented Oct. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve guide and more particularly to a guide for the stem of the outlet float valve in a flush box.

An object of the invention is to provide a guide and a holder therefore, which may be readily adjusted relative to a fixed axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide which is slidably mounted in a two part holder clamped to a support and to retain the guide in adjustedposition by a clamping. action of the two part holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for retaining the guide within the holder when the latter is loosened for adjustment of the guide relative to the holder, thereby preventing disassociation of the parts during adjustment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, showing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the improved device on enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of one of the support members.

Referring to the drawings, there isshown a flush box. l 8 having the usual'water inlet passage I2' through which water is admitted to the box through valve l4 controlled'by the well known ball float 5.- The water outlet passage is shown at lBand a stand pipe 29 is connected to the outlet passage through which an overflow of. water may be discharged when the water level rises above a predetermined level. The float [Enormally controls the level of water by its operation of the valve 14.

The outlet passage i8: is normally closed by a float valve 22 which is hollow and usually formed of a pliable material such as rubber. Awire-stem 24 has its one end threaded to be detachably received in the valve 22. The opposite end of the stem 24 is formed with aloop 26: providing aheaded end.

An operating handle 23 is provided withwan arm 30 and at the end of the arm 30 there isa loosely connected Wire 32 which has its lower end provided with a loop at. The loop 34 loosely sur rounds the stem 24 and is slidable thereon. The valve 22 is lifted-from itsv seat by a swinging move-. ment of the arm 30 upwardly whichbrings the the top of the water level causing the stem 24 to slide upwardly in theloop 34. Since the wire 32 is loosely connected to the arm Bil, there is slight support for the stem 24 and floating valve 22. As the water within the box Iii is discharged the floating valve 22 lowers with the water level toward'its seat, but since-it has heretofore been guidedby the loosely connected wire 32, the valve 22: does not always properly seat.

It: is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a rigid guide for the float valve stemand one which may be adjustably moved to a fixed positionrelative to the axis of the valve seat.

The guide and its support are detachably secured to .the stand pipe 29. The support comprises a pair of die cast members 36 which are substantially duplicates and may be formed from a single mould. Each member is in the form of a bar having one end provided with an arcuate portion 38 of less than a semi-circle. An aperture 40 is formed through the body of each member 36, adjacentthe arcuate portion 38, for the reception of'a screw 42. One aperture of one of the members is internally threaded to receive a screw 42 extending through the-aperture in the other oi the members.

The opposite end of the members 36 are provided withapertures 64, one of which is internally threaded to receive a screw 46. Between the screwsdZ and 45 are inwardly extending projections 48. When the two members are laced together, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the projections 48 abut each other and serve as a fulcrum for the opposite end portions which are spaced apart. The screws 42' and 45, having the heads thereof abutting one side of the end portions and being screw-threaded into the oppositely spaced end portions, serve to spring the spaced end portions inwardly for clamping engagement of the arcuate portions 38 on the stand pipe 20 and the opposite ends into clamping engagement with a guide-50.

The guide 501s provided with an opening 52 through which the stem 24 slides. The guide is placed on thestem 24 by removing the stem 24 from the valve 22 and inserting the threaded end through the opening 52. The guide 59 has outwardly projecting flanges 54 which are received in grooves 56 formed on the inner faces of the members 36. The guide 50 is slidably mounted in the grooves for longitudinal adjustment andis clamped in adjusted position by the screw 46 pinching the end of the members 36 into frictional engagement with the guide.

It is highly important that the axis of the opening 52 be co-axial with the axis of the movable stem 24 so that there is no tendency of the stem to bind during its sliding movement through the opening. The support should therefore be accurately positioned on the stand pipe. Often the stand pipe 20 is out of round or its peripheral surface is rough. When a flat face clamp is applied to the outer surface of a rough surface or one which is slightly out of round, the clamp engages the high spots only and will not be held tightly on the standpipe because of its limited engagement with the pipe. Further, the clamp by its engagement with irregularities in the surface of the stand pipe, may be ti ped from one side to the other although it may be tightly secured to the high spot on the stand pipe, thus causing a tipping of axis of the opening 52 and a consequent binding of the stem 24 at the edges of the opening.

To eliminate any possible tipping of the clamp support, I have arranged knife edge projections 58 on the inner peripheries of the arcuate portions 38 which bite into the wall of the stand pipe 26 when clamped thereon by the screw 42. The projections 58 not only prevent turning of the support relative to the stand pipe but prevent tipping because the projections slightly space the inner surfaces cf the arcuate portions 38 away from any rough surfaces on the stand pipe 20. The projections 58 extend axially of the stand pipe throughout the width of the arcuate portions 38; nd since the projections 58 have sharp edges, they bite through any irregularities in the stand pipe surface and engage the stand pipe throughout their length, thus preventing tipping of the axis of the opening 52.

By the arrangement of parts above described, the guide 56 may be adjusted vertically and circumferentiaily by moving the guide support on the stand pipe 23. It is then held in adjusted position by tightening the screw 42. The guide 58 may be adjusted toward and away from the stand pipe 20 by sliding the guide in the grooves 56. After the proper position has been made, the guide is held in position by tightening the screw 66.

It will be understood that various changes including the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A guide for the stem of a float valve com prising a two part clamp, a fulcrum for said members positioned between the opposite ends thereof to provide clamping portions at the opposite sides of said fulcrum, a guide slidably mounted between the clamping members at one side of said fulcrum, and a screw for drawing the clamping members together about said fulcrum into holding engagement with said guide.

2, A guide for the stem of a fioat valve comprising a two part clamp, a fulcrum for said members positioned between the opposite ends thereof to provide clamping portions at the opposite sides of said fulcrum, a guide slidably mounted between the clamping members at one side of said fulcrum, a screw at one side of said fulcrum for drawing the clamping members together about said fulcrum into holding engagement with said guide, and a screw at the opposite side of said fulcrum for drawing the opposite clamping members together into holding engagement with a fixed support.

3. A guide for the stem of a float valve comprising an apertured member, oppositely disposed flanges on said member, spaced clamping members having grooves in their adjacent faces to receive said flanges, for sliding engagement in the grooves, a headed screw extending through one of said clamping members and threaded into the other of said members for drawing said clamping members into frictional holding engagement with said guide, and means for securing said spaced clamping members to a fixed support.

l. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced clamping mei bers, arcuate end portions at one end of said clamping members,

grooved portions adjacent the opposite ends of said clamping members, a guide slidably supported in said grooves, a fulcrum for said clamping members positioned between said arcuate end portions and said grooved portions, a screw cooperating with said clamping members between said fulcrum and said arcuate end portions for drawing said arcuate portions together about said fulcrum into clamping engagement with a fixed support, and a screw at the opposite side of said fulcrum and cooperating with said clamping members for drawing said grooved portions into clamping engagement with said guide.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced clamping members, arcuate end portions at one end of said clamping members, grooved portions adjacent the opposite ends of said clamping members, a guide slidably supported in said grooves, a fulcrum for said clamping members positioned between said arcuate end portions and said grooved portions, a headed screw at one side of said fulcrum and extending through said clamping members having a screw thread engagement with one of said clamping members for drawing said arcuate portions together about said fulcrum into clamping engagement with a fixed support, and a headed screw at the opposite side of said fulcrum and extending through said clamping members having screw threaded engagement with one of said clamping members for drawing said grooved portions into clamping engagement with said guide.

6. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced clamping members, arcuate end portions at one end of said clamping members, axially extending sharp edge projections on the inner surface of said arcuate end portions, spaced grooved end portions at the opposite end of said clamping members, a guide slidably supported in said grooves, a fulcrum for said clamping members positioned between said arcuate end portions and said grooved portions both of which are spaced apart, means between said fulcrum and said arcuate end portions for drawing said spaced arcuate end portions together about said fulcrum into clamping engagement with a fixed support, and means at the opposite side of said fulcrum and adjacent the outer free ends of said grooved end portions for drawing said spaced grooved portions into clamping engagement with said guide.

'7. A device of the class described comprising a pair of spaced clamping members, spaced arcuate end portions at one end of said clamping members, axially extending sharp edge projections on the inner surface of said arcuate end portions, spaced grooved end portions adjacent the opposite ends of said clamping members, a guide slidably supported in said grooves, a fulcrum for said clamping members positioned between said spaced arcuate end portions and said spaced grooved end portions, clamping means at one side of said fulcrum for drawing said spaced arcuate portions together about said fulcrum int clamping engagement with a fixed support, and clamping means at the opposite side of said fulcrum for drawing said spaced grooved end portions into I clamping engagement with said guide.

8. In a flush box comprising a water inlet, a water outlet, a stand pipe adjacent said outlet, a float valve for said outlet, a stem for said float valve extending substantially parallel to said stand pipe, a pair of spaced clamping members, arcuate end portions at, one end of said clamping members, axially extending sharp edge projections on the inner surface of said arcuate end portions, grooved portions adjacent the opposite ends of said clamping members, a guide slidably supported in said grooves, a fulcrum for said clamping members positioned between said arcuate end portions and said grooved portions,

clamping means at one side of said fulcrum for drawing said arcuate portions together about said fulcrum into clamping engagement with a fixed support, and clamping means at the opposite side of said fulcrum for drawing said grooved portions into clamping engagement with said guide.

HERMAN E. PLEASANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

